Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
- tac chraddadhānā munayo
- jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā
- paśyanty ātmani cātmānaṁ
- bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā
- (SB 1.2.12)
"The seriously inquisitive student or sage, well equipped with knowledge and detachment, realizes that Absolute Truth by rendering devotional service in terms of what he has heard from the Vedānta-śruti."
Prabhupāda: (interrupts and corrects one devotee's chanting of the verse:) We are repeating so that by hearing the sound, you can practice. You should be attentive. By... (chanting resumes)
Very good, thank you. Yes. She has done better than all of you. All right. (chanting resumes) (Prabhupāda interrupts again:) Yes. That's all.
So people, they sometimes say, "Can you show me God? Have you seen God?" These questions sometimes we meet. So the answer is here. Yes, you can see God. Everyone can see God. I am also seeing God. But there must be the qualification. Just like God is there... Suppose a motorcar is there, something is wrong there. Everyone is seeing. But one engineer or mechanic, he sees differently. Therefore we have to go there. "What is the wrong in this car? It is not running." He immediately touches some machine part; it runs. So these rascals, they do not know that "How I can see God if I have not the qualification?" The machine has gone wrong, I am seeing the machine. And the engineer, the mechanic, he is also seeing the machine. But his seeing and my seeing is different. He's qualified to see. Therefore when the machine has gone wrong, immediately he touches some part, it runs. So if for a machine we require so much qualification, and we want to see God without any qualification? Just see the fun. Without any qualification. Rascal, they are so rascal, so fool, that they want to see God with their nuisance qualification.
Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā: nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ: (BG 7.25) "I am not exposed to everyone. Yogamāyā, yogamāyā is covering." So how you can see God? But this rascaldom is going on, that "Can you show me God? Have you seen God?" God has become just like a plaything. "Here is God. He is incarnation of God." Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). They are sinful, rascals, fools, lowest of the mankind. They inquire like that: "Can you show me God?" What qualification you have acquired, that you can see God? Here is the qualification. What is that? Tac chraddadhānā munayaḥ. One must be first of all faithful. Faithful. Śraddadhānāḥ. He must be very much eager to see God, actually. Not that as a proclivity, frivolous thing, "Can you show me God?" A magic, just like God is a magic. No. He must be very serious: "Yes, if there is God... We have seen, we have been informed about God. So I must see."
There is a story in this connection. It is very instructive; try to hear. One professional reciter was reciting about Bhāgavata, and he was describing that Kṛṣṇa, being very highly decorated with all jewels, He is sent for tending the cows in the forest. So there was a thief in that meeting. So he thought that "Why not then go to Vṛndāvana and plunder this boy? He is in the forest with so many valuable jewels. I can go there and catch the child and take the, all the jewels." That was his intention. So, he was serious that "I must find out that boy. Then in one night I shall become millionaire. So much jewelries. No." So he went there, but his qualification was that "I must see Kṛṣṇa, I must see Kṛṣṇa." That anxiety, that eagerness, made it possible that in Vṛndāvana he saw Kṛṣṇa. He saw Kṛṣṇa the same way as he was informed by the Bhāgavata reader. Then he saw, "Oh, oh, you are so nice boy, Kṛṣṇa." So he began to flatter. He thought that "Flattering, I shall take all the jewels" (laughter). So when he proposed his real business, "So may I take some of your these ornaments? You are so rich." "No, no, no. You... My mother will be angry. I cannot..." (laughter) Kṛṣṇa as a child. So he became more and more eager for Kṛṣṇa. And then... By Kṛṣṇa's association, he had already become purified. Then, at last, Kṛṣṇa said, "All right, you can take." Then he became a devotee, immediately. Because by Kṛṣṇa's association...
So some way or other, we should come in contact with Kṛṣṇa. Some way or other. Then we'll be purified. Kāmād bhayād dveṣyāt. Just like the gopīs... The gopīs came to Kṛṣṇa being captivated by His beautiful features. They were young girls, and Kṛṣṇa was so beautiful. So actually, they came to Kṛṣṇa being lusty, but Kṛṣṇa is so pure that they became first-class devotees. There is no comparison of their devotion. Because they loved Kṛṣṇa with heart and soul. That is the qualification. That is the qualification. They loved so much Kṛṣṇa that they didn't care for family, for reputation. When they were going at dead of night... Kṛṣṇa's flute was there, and they were all fleeing. Their father, their brother, their husband: "Where you are going? Where you are going in this dead of night?" They didn't care. They neglected their children, their family, everything: "We must go to Kṛṣṇa." So this is required. We must be very, very eager so that... And many gopīs who were forcibly stopped, going to Kṛṣṇa, they lost their life. Just see how much eager they are. So this eagerness is wanted. Then you can see God. Either you become lusty or a thief or a murderer or whatever it may be. Some way or other, if you develop this eagerness, that "I must see Kṛṣṇa," then Kṛṣṇa will be seen.
So here is... The first thing is how much eager you are to see Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will respond. If you are actually eager to see Kṛṣṇa... It, the reason may be different, either you are lusty or to steal His ornament. Some way or other, you become attracted to Kṛṣṇa, then your business is successful. Rūpa Gosvāmī has advised that... He says in a poetry. It is on the matter of the gopīs talking. One gopī is advising another gopī that "My dear friend..."
- smerān bhaṅgī-traya-paricitāṁ sāci-vistīrṇa-dṛṣṭiṁ
- vaṁśīnyastādhara-kiśalayām ujjvalāṁ candrakeṇa
- govindākhyāṁ haritanumitaḥ keśi-tīrthopakaṇṭhe
- mā prekṣiṣṭhāstava yadi sakhe! bandhu-saṅge 'sti raṅgaḥ
The idea is that one gopī is advising another gopī, "My dear friend, there is one boy. His name is Govinda. He is standing on the bank of Yamunā near the Keśi-ghāṭa, and He's playing on His flute. And He's so beautiful that especially during full moon night, please do not go there." (laughter) Why? "Now, because if you have got intention to enjoy in this material world with your family members, wife, children, husband, please do not go there." Smerān bhaṅgī-traya-paricitāṁ sāci-vistīrṇa-dṛṣṭim. Bhaṅgī-traya. "Kṛṣṇa always stands in three-curved way with His flute. That is Kṛṣṇa's tri-bhaṅga-murāri." Tri-bhaṅga. Three places, He is bent. So,
- smerān bhaṅgī-traya-paricitāṁ sāci-vistīrṇa-dṛṣṭiṁ
- vaṁśīnyastādhara-kiśalayām ujjvalāṁ candrakeṇa
- govindākhyāṁ haritanumitaḥ keśi-tīrthopakaṇṭhe
- mā prekṣiṣṭhāstava yadi sakhe! bandhu-saṅge 'sti raṅgaḥ
"If you think that you will enjoy more your life in this material world, then you do not go there. You do not go there."
The idea is that if you once see Kṛṣṇa, then you will forget all this nonsense material enjoyment. That is seeing Kṛṣṇa. No more. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42). "My dear Lord I don't want anything." Dhruva Mahārāja... Dhruva Mahārāja went to see Kṛṣṇa to get the kingdom of his father, but when he saw Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu... Viṣṇu offered, "Now, whatever benediction you want, you take." He said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce, "My dear Lord, I have no more any desire." That is Kṛṣṇa seeing. That if you want to see Kṛṣṇa for some business, that "I shall see Kṛṣṇa..." Just like... Of course, if you are eager to see Kṛṣṇa, the motive may be different, but somehow or other, due to your eagerness, you'll see Kṛṣṇa. That is the only qualification.